MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand

The San Francisco Giants occupied the top slot in these rankings each of the past two weeks, but they are no longer top dogs this week, as we again have a new team in the No. 1 spot in our MLB power rankings.

When putting together these rankings on a weekly basis, the following factors are considered:

Previous week's record

Quality of opponents

Key injuries/trades

Recent performance beyond the last week

At this point, teams have enough games under their belts that preseason expectations no longer play much of a factor in where they are slotted, though the sample size is still small enough that there were some drastic rises and falls.

All that said, here is an updated look at where all 30 MLB teams currently stand. Be sure to check back here every Monday morning for the most recent edition of our MLB power rankings.

30. Chicago Cubs (15-27, Previous: 29)

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Last Week's Results:3-3

After a big week by the Houston Astros, the Chicago Cubs drop back into the No. 30 spot in these rankings despite winning their second series of the season over the weekend when they took two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Edwin Jackson turned in perhaps his best start in a Cubs uniform Saturday and has quietly strung together three straight quality starts while lowering his ERA to 3.98 on the year.

Much has been made of rebound seasons for Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo, and rightfully so, but with Jackson signed through 2016, him getting on track is worth taking notice of as well.

28. Tampa Bay Rays (19-26, Previous: 27)

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 3-4

The Tampa Bay Rays are mired in a 5-10 stretch that has seen them slowly tumble down the rankings, as they are still looking for something to jump-start their season after entering the year with lofty expectations.

Injured starter Alex Cobb, who has not pitched since April 12, could potentially provide that spark, as he is close to returning. He struck out nine over five shutout innings in a rehab start for High-A Charlotte Saturday and could return as early as Thursday, per Bill Chastain of MLB.com.

"I went out there and threw all my pitches and didn't have any residual feelings of any pain coming back or any thoughts of pain coming back, so I was just out there being aggressive," Cobb said, via Chastain. "Everything was coming out good, so I was pleased with it."

27. Arizona Diamondbacks (18-28, Previous: 28)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 3-3

After a dreadful 9-22 start to the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks have finally started to turn things around. They are 9-6 in the month of May and are coming off a series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers this past weekend.

Veteran Bronson Arroyo has given what was a terrible rotation a huge boost, going 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA in 23.1 innings of work over his past three starts. That after going 1-2 with a 7.77 ERA over his first five starts.

The team looks to have made the right call dealing Adam Eaton and holding on to A.J. Pollock in center field, as Pollock is hitting .315/.364/.546 with 17 extra-base hits this year while continuing to play Gold Glove-caliber defense.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates (18-25, Previous: 21)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are not off to a good start in 2014, as the offense has scuffled to 3.88 runs per game and the starting rotation has taken a big step backward from where it was at last season.

Getting someone to step up behind Andrew McCutchen remains a major area of need, as no one with more than 80 at-bats on the season outside of him is hitting higher than .264. That would be Starling Marte, who is coming off a nice week but has still struck out a whopping 51 times in 159 at-bats.

On the pitching side of things, Francisco Liriano turned in his best start of the season since Opening Day his last time out, while Wandy Rodriguez was at least passable in his first start since returning from the DL. This team still has a long way to go if it hopes to make a return trip to the postseason, though.

25. Philadelphia Phillies (19-22, Previous: 25)

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 2-3

After a decent start to the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are just 4-8 over their last 12 games, though they did end last week on a positive note by taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.

Cole Hamels looks to be rounding into form nicely after missing time to open the season and struggling to a 7.02 ERA through his first three starts. He has allowed one earned run and struck out 10 in each of his last two starts, and the Phillies now boast a solid top three in the rotation with him joining Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett.

The bullpen, which had been one of the worst in all of baseball entering last week, threw a combined 12.1 innings of scoreless relief last week, allowing just four hits and four walks while striking out 11. That's certainly a positive sign moving forward as the team looks to climb back over .500.

24. Cleveland Indians (19-25, Previous: 19)

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 1-5

A lost series to the Toronto Blue Jays and a sweep at the hands of the Oakland Athletics sends the Cleveland Indians sliding back down the rankings. They climbed five spots to No. 19 in last week's rankings but now wind up right back where they started.

Josh Tomlin remains a bright spot of late, as he now as three straight quality starts since assuming the No. 5 starter spot, but the rotation is still an issue. Danny Salazar made it just four innings his last time out, and Zach McAllister was shelled for eight earned runs in 1.1 innings.

All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis is close to returning from a strained oblique, though. He is still targeting a Memorial Day return, according to Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com.

23. Chicago White Sox (21-24, Previous: 23)

Brian Kersey/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 2-4

The big news for the White Sox this past week was obviously rookie phenom Jose Abreu landing on the disabled list with an ankle injury. He was hitting .260/.312/.595 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI through his first 44 games.

"Right now, we're looking a lot different [offensively] than we did a week ago," manager Robin Ventura told Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. "You take somebody like Abreu out of there, it just looks different. And it needs to pick up because he's not going to be here for a couple of weeks."

On the plus side, the team did welcome back center fielder Adam Eaton from an injury of his own. Meanwhile, ace Chris Sale looked great in his first rehab start, striking out 11 and walking two in four innings of one-hit ball for Triple-A Charlotte.

22. New York Mets (20-23, Previous: 26)

Uncredited/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 3-4

The New York Mets climb four spots in this week's rankings more or less by default, as a number of teams slid below them with poor weeks, and I admittedly may have had them ranked a bit low to begin with last week at No. 26.

Solid big league debuts from Jake deGrom (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 K) and Rafael Montero (6 IP, 3 ER, 3 K) were the big takeaway from this past week, as the starting rotation is still looking strong, even with Dillon Gee on the disabled list.

The offense is still a mess, but the team was able to split its Subway Series with the rival New York Yankees last week, and it will be looking to pull back over .500 during its upcoming nine-game homestand.

21. Cincinnati Reds (19-23, Previous: 13)

Al Behrman/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 2-4

After series wins against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies, the Reds finally looked like they were getting their season on track, but a 2-4 week against the Phillies and San Diego Padres is enough to send them to the bottom third.

Few teams have been hit as hard by injuries as the Reds have, with a pair of stars in Jay Bruce and Mat Latos still on the mend and a number of others missing time early on.

There is still a tremendous amount of talent on this team, and it's not as though the Reds have fallen out of things here in May. Unfortunately, things don't get any easier moving forward, as they face the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers in their next three series.

20. San Diego Padres (21-24, Previous: 24)

After another solid week, Padres outfielder Seth Smith is now 22-for-50 with 14 extra-base hits in the month of May. He has been the lone offensive standout for the league's worst offensive team.

Pitching is the only thing keeping the Padres hovering around .500 right now, as their 3.10 team ERA is good for third in all of baseball. That includes a 3.59 mark (10th in MLB) from their starting rotation and a 2.18 mark (second in MLB) out of their bullpen.

Jedd Gyorko, Chase Headley, Yonder Alonso and Will Venable all find themselves hitting below the Mendoza Line entering this week, and as arguably the team's top four hitters entering the season, things have to click for that group at some point.

19. Seattle Mariners (21-22, Previous: 17)

Riding a 12-5 stretch heading into this past week, the Seattle Mariners finally cooled off a bit, losing series to the Tampa Bay Rays at home and Minnesota Twins on the road.

They have a chance to get back on track against a struggling Texas Rangers team to kick off the week before taking on the Astros at home for a four-game series to close out the week.

The team is still waiting on James Paxton and Taijuan Walker to get healthy, but at least it has Hisashi Iwakuma back. He has picked up right where he left off last season by throwing eight shutout innings in each of his last two starts.

18. Texas Rangers (21-23, Previous: 12)

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 2-4

With one fell swoop, the Rangers likely lost Martin Perez and Matt Harrison for the season. Perez will need Tommy John surgery, while Harrison is likely headed for spinal fusion surgery that could potentially end his career, according to Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas.

"I feel for Matt. It's a blow to the club. He's worked extremely hard to come back and done everything by the book and then some. He showed signs he's getting all the way back, but I feel for Matt and his family," GM Jon Daniels told Taylor. "The odds may not be great, but I'm hoping he's the exception and can make it back."

That left the team scrambling once again to piece together a rotation. Nick Martinez and Nick Tepesch will take over the two vacant rotation spots, while veteran Scott Baker also had his contract purchased from the minors.

17. Boston Red Sox (20-23, Previous: 11)

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 1-5

The Boston Red Sox kicked off their week by dropping two of three to the Twins before getting swept the Detroit Tigers at home. They managed a grand total of three runs against the Tigers, who completely shut down their offense.

A year after they were the highest-scoring offense in baseball, the Red Sox are hitting just .243 (23rd in MLB) and averaging just 4.07 runs per game (14th in MLB). Production in center and left field remains an issue, and third baseman Will Middlebrooks is now on the DL with a fractured finger.

Boston has managed to stay competitive thanks in large part to its rotation, which has turned in 27 quality starts in 43 games. Clay Buchholz continues to struggle, though, and the team may need to consider other options in his spot in the near future.

16. Miami Marlins (23-22, Previous: 14)

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 3-4

These are the first power rankings since Jose Fernandez was lost for the season, and while the Miami Marlins slide just two spots this week, it will be interesting to see how they respond to losing the face of their franchise and one of the game's best pitchers.

Anthony DeSclafani threw the ball well in his big league debut replacing Fernandez, and the team also added veteran Randy Wolf to the mix, but there really is no "replacing" Fernandez as far as the rotation is concerned.

The Marlins head home to face the Phillies and Brewers this coming week, and they will need to make the most of their time in Miami. They are 17-5 on the year at home, compared to just 6-17 on the road.

15. Minnesota Twins (21-21, Previous: 22)

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 4-2

With series wins against the Red Sox and Mariners, the Twins have pulled themselves back to .500 on the year, as they continue to play competitive baseball despite having one of the league's worst starting rotations (5.16 ERA, 28th in MLB).

Phil Hughes has been great lately, going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA over his last five starts. The team also got quality starts from Kyle Gibson (7 IP, 1 ER), Samuel Deduno (6 IP, 2 ER) and Ricky Nolasco (6 IP, 3 ER) last week.

The offense remains among the best in the league, and the team will need it to be firing on all cylinders this coming week, as the Twins head out west for a five-game trip against the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, two teams with very good pitching staffs.

14. Toronto Blue Jays (23-22, Previous: 20)

LM Otero/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 5-2

Who is this man, and what has he done with the real Juan Francisco? Since having his contract purchased on April 19, the veteran has a 1.002 OPS with four doubles and eight home runs in 89 at-bats, as his free-swinging approach has fit in perfectly in Toronto.

He's helped spark an offense that also has a legitimate MVP candidate in Jose Bautista (.983 OPS, 11 HR) healthy and firing on all cylinders, and the Blue Jays have needed all the runs they can get with a questionable starting rotation.

That said, Drew Hutchison twirled a complete-game shutout against the Rangers Friday, and the rotation as a whole threw the ball very well last week, with Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey throwing a pair of quality starts each and J.A. Happ recording one as well.

13. Kansas City Royals (22-21, Previous: 18)

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 4-2

The Kansas City Royals squared off against the No. 3 team (Colorado Rockies) and No. 6 team (Baltimore Orioles) in last week's rankings and walked away with a 4-2 record, so they rightfully climb five spots this week as they push ever closer to the top 10.

Their offense remains one of the worst in the AL, averaging 3.86 runs per game to put them ahead of only the Astros, but they have thrown the ball well enough to offset their shortcomings at the plate.

Their 3.39 starters' ERA is good for eighth in MLB, and with Danny Duffy moving into the No. 5 spot and allowing just two runs in 17 innings of work over his first three starts, their staff looks rock-solid top to bottom.

12. Washington Nationals (23-20, Previous: 16)

USA TODAY Sports

Last Week's Results: 4-2

With series wins against a Diamondbacks team that is playing much better and a division foe in the Mets, the Washington Nationals climb back up toward the top 10, as they have managed to play solid baseball despite injury.

Doug Fister is finally healthy, and he allowed just one run in seven innings of work his last time out, but now left-hander Gio Gonzalez has landed on the DL with shoulder inflammation. He joins the already injured trio of Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper as key players on the sidelines.

The Nationals face a pair of scuffling NL Central teams in the Reds and Pirates this coming week before kicking off a nine-game homestand, so they have a chance to string together some wins here, even with a patchwork lineup.

11. Baltimore Orioles (22-20, Previous: 6)

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 2-5

After jumping into the top 10 with a 5-1 week two weeks ago, the Baltimore Orioles came back to earth a bit this past week, as they were swept by the surging Tigers before splitting a four-game series with the Royals on the road.

The team used 14 different pitchers last week, including top prospect Kevin Gausman, who allowed five runs in four innings of work in his first start of the season. The staff is still a work in progress at this point, but the Orioles did get a complete-game shutout from Chris Tillman Friday.

The status of catcher Matt Wieters remains up in the air, as he is currently on the DL with an elbow injury and may yet need surgery. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection Monday, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun, in an effort to speed up the healing process.

10. Atlanta Braves (23-19, Previous: 8)

After a 17-7 start to the season, the Atlanta Braves are just 6-12 since, and they are in jeopardy of falling out of the top 10 if they don't get on track soon.

They get the benefit of the doubt for one more week, though, as they had a tough draw this past week, facing two of the NL's best teams in the Cardinals and Giants, with both series on the road.

Their offense has finally started to show some signs of life after a rough couple weeks, and left-hander Mike Minor turned in his best outing of the year in what was his third start since coming off the DL, so there were some positive takeaways from a 2-4 week.

9. Colorado Rockies (25-20, Previous: 3)

USA TODAY Sports

Last Week's Results: 2-3

The Colorado Rockies rattled off an impressive 15-5 stretch to close out April and kick off May, but they are just 3-6 since, as their offense has been unable to pick up the slack for the pitching of late.

That said, they are still hitting a ridiculous .299/.346/.494 as a team. That's good for a collective OPS of .840—or better than all but 14 qualified NL hitters who are not on the Rockies roster.

Jorge De La Rosa was great in his last start, while Jhoulys Chacin turned in his second straight quality start in what was his third appearance since coming off the DL. Jordan Lyles had his worst start of the year (3.1 IP, 6 ER), though, after rattling off five straight quality starts.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers (23-22, Previous: 9)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 3-3

The Dodgers rotation has not been at full strength at any point this season, as Hyun-Jin Ryu landed on the DL just before Clayton Kershaw returned. That has left Paul Maholm (1-4, 5.40 ERA) to make seven starts at the back of the rotation, and he has struggled.

Ryu is set to return on Wednesday, though, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Once he shakes off the rust, the Dodgers could have the best rotation in the National League at their disposal.

Given the lofty expectations they entered the season with, it has been something of a disappointing start for the Dodgers, but it's worth noting that they were 19-26 at this point last season.

7. New York Yankees (23-20, Previous: 10)

After suffering through a 4-9 stretch capped by losing back-to-back games to the Mets at home, the Yankees rebounded to win four straight, and they again find themselves atop the AL East standings.

Masahiro Tanaka continues to be the one constant in a shaky starting pitching situation, tossing his first complete-game shutout his last time out. Chase Whitley (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) held his own in his major league debut, earning another look if nothing else.

Meanwhile, the offense lost Carlos Beltran to an elbow injury, as he landed on the 15-day DL. The Yankees keep finding ways to score runs, though, with a different player seemingly stepping his game up each week.

6. St. Louis Cardinals (23-21, Previous: 7)

After playing 26 of their first 38 games on the road, the Cardinals made the most of their return to St. Louis this past week, with series wins against the rival Cubs and Braves.

They will now play 12 of their next 15 games at home, and they have a very good chance to close the four-game gap between them and the Brewers in the NL Central before the calendar turns over to June.

Left-hander Jaime Garcia made his first start since May 17, 2013, on Sunday, going seven innings and allowing five hits and four runs (two home runs). With Joe Kelly on the DL and Tyler Lyons joining him, Garcia's return could not have come at a better time. All things considered, he threw the ball fairly well.

5. Los Angeles Angels (24-19, Previous: 15)

Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 5-2

Last week, the Orioles shot into the top 10 with a 5-2 performance. This week's big riser is the Los Angeles Angels, who are now 8-2 over their last 10 games and playing some very good baseball right now.

The team moved Hector Santiago (0-6, 5.09 ERA) to the bullpen last week, calling up Matt Shoemaker to replace him, and the 27-year-old won both of his starts. He allowed just five hits and three runs in 11 innings of work and looks like he could be the answer at the back of the rotation.

The Angels also seem to have found a viable replacement for the injured Josh Hamilton in left field, as Grant Green saw extended action for the first time last week and made the most of it. Hamilton could start a rehab assignment within the next week, according to Jim Peltz of the Los Angeles Times.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (27-17, Previous: 5)

Jeffrey Phelps/Getty Images

Last Week's Results: 3-3

The Brewers got off to a torrid 20-7 start this season. While they are just 7-10 since, they have managed to avoid a lengthy skid of any sort and remain in the top five of these rankings at this point.

They go on the road to face the Braves and Marlins this coming week, and at 13-7 on the road this season, they have actually played slightly better away from Miller Park. Still, this will be a good test for them after they went 3-4 on their last road trip.

Pitching remains the Brewers' strength, as they rank fifth in MLB with a 3.19 team ERA and lead all of baseball with 33 quality starts in 44 games.

3. San Francisco Giants (28-17, Previous: 1)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 4-3

The Giants did nothing themselves to warrant dropping in the rankings, taking two of three from the Braves last week before splitting a four-game series with the Marlins. It was simply a matter of the two teams now ahead of them getting red-hot.

Two impressive starts from Tim Lincecum, his first back-to-back quality starts of the season, are a huge plus for the team. With the rest of the rotation looking strong early on, he was the big question mark; if he can keep pitching well, the Giants have a chance to be one of the best staffs in the National League.

A big week at the plate from Pablo Sandoval (10-for-27, 2 2B, 1 HR) also can't be overstated, as he's been one of the few holes in a vastly improved lineup.

2. Oakland Athletics (28-16, Previous: 4)

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 5-1

The Oakland Athletics had an enjoyable run through the AL Central last week, taking two of three from the White Sox before sweeping the Indians over the weekend. They are now 9-1 over their last 10 games.

The A's added Jeff Francis (waivers, CIN) and Kyle Blanks (trade, SD) as complementary pieces this past week, as they again exemplify the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a roster lacking in star power, and it has been the past two seasons, but they continue to pile up the wins.

The A's head on the road to face the Rays and Blue Jays this coming week before a four-game series with the Tigers to kick off the following week. If they can keep up their recent hot streak, that series could be for AL supremacy heading into June.

1. Detroit Tigers (27-12, Previous: 2)

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

Last Week's Results: 6-0

For the first time this season, the Tigers move to the top spot in these rankings. With arguably the best starting rotation in all of baseball, a bullpen that is rounding into form and the game's best hitter starting to get hot, they look like the best team in the AL right now.

After hitting just .277/.320/.415 with two home runs and 15 RBI through April, Miguel Cabrera is batting .375/.408/.703 with five home runs and 24 RBI through 16 games so far this month. Behind him, Victor Martinez actually has more home runs (10) than strikeouts (9) on the year, and he currently leads the AL with a .331 average.

The team welcomed Anibal Sanchez back from the DL this past week, and he allowed one earned run in five innings of work. Max Scherzer (6-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) is the Tigers' best pitcher once again, but Rick Porcello (7-1, 2.91 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) is worthy of some recognition as well. He'll get some extra rest this coming week with a sore left side, as Robbie Ray will take his turn in the rotation, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.

"This is probably an overabundance of caution, but I'm trying to think more long-term," manager Brad Ausmus told Beck. "We don't want to send him out there every fifth day, and then every day ask how he's feeling. We would like to completely eliminate this issue altogether."